


Just a Change of Scenery - Merlin's Story

by pretentious_git



Category: Grimsby - Fandom, Kingsman (Movies), The Brothers Grimsby
Genre: M/M, Merlin joins Kingsman, Merlin quits MI6, Merlin's story, No Relationship, Other, Young Harry, pre-eggsy, this is a friendship fic, young Merlin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 09:10:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7678570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pretentious_git/pseuds/pretentious_git
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sebastian Graves of Grimsby was many things. He was a brother, a spy, a mentor, a friend, an uncle, and a headache to some. </p><p>What he wasn’t, however, was a quitter. </p><p>So when he literally slammed into a man in a suit gripping an MK46 in his hands who had been aiming at his same target on a mission in Palestine and was persuaded to look into – and eventually join – the man’s agency Kingsman, he simply called it a ‘change of scenery’.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just a Change of Scenery - Merlin's Story

**Author's Note:**

> Have you watched The Brother's Grimsby? Mark Strong, the actor for Merlin is in there as the second main character!
> 
> This fic doesn't necessarily need you to watch it, but it will make a hell of a lot more sense if you did. 
> 
> It is an A+ comedy movie that's rated R. I highly recommend it :)

Sebastian Graves of Grimsby was many things. He was a brother, a spy, a mentor, a friend, an uncle, and a headache to some.

            What he wasn’t, however, was a quitter.

            So when he literally slammed into a man in a suit gripping an MK46 in his hands who had been aiming at his same target on a mission in Palestine and was persuaded to look into – and eventually join – the man’s agency _Kingsman_ , he simply called it a ‘change of scenery’.

            **

            The target’s name was Colin Irustrado, an arms dealer. He was a British citizen, the git, and was part of the Queen’s royal damn guard himself. It was such a high point of treason that Sebastian had to remember to simply apprehend the man out of duty, not kill him out of personal spite.

            It wasn’t easy, camping out on the top of a building in the scorching heat of the middle east and peering at the busy streets through a sniper rifle. At least, it wasn’t easy watching as his target moved seamlessly through the streets, buying fruits like any normal person. He could shoot him down with one bullet, he swore. But the British Intelligence wanted him to be questioned.

            Sebastian had tried to persuade them that he could question the man himself at point blank before killing him, but the higher-ups were firm.

            _“We want to know what his intentions are, Graves,” Brockard, his boss, said. “And I’m sure the Queen would like to have an audience with this little bastard herself as well.”_

He was patriotic, he knew. Live for England, die for England, all the semantics. But if Brockard said no, then it was no. Plus, after the whole Rhonda George incident, things were still slowly patching themselves together with him and the wiry old man.

            Speaking of which, he tuned himself back into the chattering in his ear. Nobby had insisted on being his part-handler for this mission, alongside Jodie, and his voice was trumping over hers easily.

            “Seb! Gosh, bruv you’ve gotta get down there an’ try out some o’ their bread.” As always, his brother’s words were either completely off topic, inappropriate, or distracting. He didn’t bother replying to the nattering voice in his ear. “I ‘eard bread here is top notch, eh? Jodie? What say you?”

            There was a beat of silence as all three of them waited for a response before Jodie’s slightly exasperated voice wafted into the air. “I’ve heard…that _taboon_ is good?”

            “Taboon!” Nobby practically yelled into the mic. “Yes! That shit’s the guv’na. Go get some, Seb. You’ve got time. Colin’s not going anywhere s’os I can see.”

            “You’re going to blast my eardrum into smithreens,” he groused quietly, hearing Jodie snicker but Nobby didn’t seem to hear his words. He spoke up. “I’m not going anywhere. The target’s on the move.”

            Nobby whined loudly. “He’s _been_ on the move, Seb-“

            But Sebastian had blocked him out mentally, tensing up in his spot. Colin was indeed moving, but it was with renewed purpose. The man had pulled out his phone and was quickly walking towards a building, seeming to be engaged in an important conversation.

            “Destination,” he asked quietly.

            “The cloth shop across the street. Fifty meters.” Jodie’s voice was a welcome change from Nobby’s.

            “Per’aps he’s just goin’ to buy some clothes, eh Seb? Nah, take it back. He’s in all black, not very adventurous it seems.”           

            “Sebastian, he’s inside.”

            He knew that, seeing as he was the one actually seeing it and Jodie was only watching the feed. But he sat up anyway, nodding to no one. “Alright, I’m heading now. Target to be intercepted inside of the building. Call length?”

            “Still going,” Jodie said and he could hear the clicking of keys faintly in the background. “But it’s closed and I can’t get in. So far, it’s a minute thirty-six.”     

            That was to be expected, but it was confirmed information. Had he been given free will, Colin would’ve been dead. Or, at the least, tranquilized in the middle of the street for him to go down and easily pick him up. But as the situation called, he was going to have to immobilize the man with the least amount of civilian attention possible.

            Damn Brockard.

            Without wasting anymore time, Sebastian threw his sniper over his shoulder, hopping the roof and landing on a shorter one. He took off running, his lenses flickering constantly with signs and icons.

            “Oi, Coddy, once you’re done with this mission an’ all, d’you want to be a sport and bring your bruva back some o’ that _taboon_ as a little souvenir? Eh?”

            “Shut up, Nobby,” he growled quietly, grunting as he landed hard on the pavement beneath him.

            “I’ve never actually had _taboon-_ “

            Jodie’s voice cut in harshly. “Graves! To your left!”

            He had been so concentrated on running across the street into the store as well as trying to get Nobby to shut the fuck up for once that despite his lenses blinking urgently about another presence, he hadn’t noticed it for a minute.

            A body slammed into his side and while Sebastian prided himself in being able to hold his stance firmly, he was taken off guard so easily that he fell, slamming into a pile of crates that lined a wall. The person he collided with staggered back as well, falling onto the ground in the entrance way of the building he had just previously sprinted out of.

            Immediately, training kicked in and he was on his feet in seconds, his sniper barrel pointed forwards. But what shocked him most was seeing a gun pointed right at him in return.

            The man before him had gotten on his feet as quickly as Sebastian had, if not faster. And to make things even more amusing, he was dressed in a well pressed grey suit that contrasted extremely with Sebastian’s obvious army-like gear and protective vests. Guns belonged in the hands of people like him, not posh young gentlemen like…this man.

            “Who are you?” Sebastian barked and he tried to ignore Nobby’s yelling in his ear, exaggerated threats on how he was going to kill this stranger for knocking down his brother. Jodie was silent, but the keys were clicking. She was busy.

            The man’s brow quirked and he looked surprised. “I could ask you the same thing.” Sebastian was then shocked – it was a British accent. In such a large world such as this one, there was no way that they could be on the same mission…could they?

            “None of your business. What are you here for?”

            “None of your business,” the gentleman answered just as smartly and calculative eyes flickered towards the gun in his hands. “Barret 82A3. Common weapon for SIS. Are you with them? MI6?”

            Sebastian stiffened, staring at the man before him with renewed suspicion. He had the information down to the dot, even with the gun he was holding. With the way he spoke, it didn’t sound as if _he_ were part of MI6.

            “And if I am?” He asked blatantly. “Who are you? What’s your organization?”

            The gentleman hesitated, as if wondering if he should trade the information what with Sebastian’s obvious agreement to being a part of MI6. “You most likely haven’t heard of us. But I assure you, I’m a friend.”

            “That’s what they all say,” Sebastian muttered, gripping his gun tighter again and being prepared to shoot. But the other man was faster and he had side stepped the bullet that ripped through the air, colliding with a pillar behind him. The gentleman then stepped forward and grabbed the gun by its middle, yanking it forward and Sebastian with it. There was short grapple and both of their weapons were tossed onto the ground.

            As they both reached onto their bodies for new weapons, the kicker was when both of them barked out at the same time.

            “Jodie! I need that facial recognition!”

            “Merlin, give me facial recognition!”

            Both of them paused to stare at each other as the clamor of voices reached their ears, trying to give their respective agents much needed information. Jodie was spluttering in his ear and Nobby was quietly muttering, allowing the woman to do her work.

            “I don’t- There’s nothing in the database! He’s not matching up with anything and-“

            “Sebastian Graves,” the gentleman said and Sebastian froze. “You do work for MI6, top agent.” The information seemed to slightly relax the other man and there was only a moment’s hesitation before he spoke. My codename is Galahad and I’m an agent of Kingsman.”

            “Kingsman?” Sebastian barked in echo and Jodie’s fingers were typing up a crescendo in his ear. “What the hell is that?”

            The gentleman slowly lowered his hands to his sides to show that he wasn’t reaching for a weapon. Though his face still look guarded, he also looked sincere. “An independent, international spy organization that conducts at the highest level of discretion. Very few MI6 directors know of us but the ones that do know that we work alongside you, but in the shadows.”

            In his ear, Jodie let out a soft croak of ‘He’s right. I found a vague file on them. It’s small but they’re listed as an ally.’

            Sebastian very carefully lowered his hands as well. “What are you doing here? This is a private mission.”

            Galahad’s eyes flickered out onto the street and Sebastian had the strong feeling that they were after the same thing. “Kingsman is the definition of private. I’m after Colin Irustrado, the-“

            “Arms dealer,” Sebastian finished for him. He was right; he and this Kingsman agent were after the same guy. “If you know so much about us, why didn’t you know they sent an agent out to get him?”

            There was silence and Sebastian knew it as Galahad listening to whoever was talking in his ear, if his thinned lips were anything to go by. Jodie was quiet, listening intently and Nobby was uncharacteristically silent.

            “We don’t watch MI6’s every move,” Galahad finally said blandly. “I’m not surprised that something like this escaped our department’s notice.” And, in a lower voice, “Someone’s getting old.”

            Sebastian raised an eyebrow as Galahad suppressed a smirk at the voice in his ear.

            “I like ‘is suit, bruv,” came the suddenly loud voice and Sebastian nearly jerked when Nobby came back into the picture. “Need ‘ta get me one of ‘em penguin suits. Ya think HQ’ll let me get one, eh, Seb?”

            “Fucking hell, Nobby,” he muttered under his breath. “Warn me before you start shouting in my ear.”

            “I wasn’t shoutin’, Coddy,” came Nobby’s loose reply. “Simply givin’ me opinion.”

            Galahad shifted in his stance. “Nobby? Is that a code name? How peculiar, even for MI6.”

            Sebastian fought to repress an exasperated sigh. They didn’t really use code names because they were simply a line of numbers and letters that made little to no sense. Though he did wonder how the gent got ‘Galahad’ as his code name. One of Arthur’s knights? A suit? _King_ sman? This organization sounded like a bunch of suited estate holders running around shooting things.

            But he couldn’t deny that he was impressed.

            Without deigning him a reply, he jerked his chin towards the street. “Last I saw, our mark’s in that building on the phone. Are we working together on this or not?”

            Usually, if it was a solo mission assigned to an agent, it stayed a solo mission. But there were no rules explicitly stating that an agent couldn’t pair up with a partner if they came across them on the field. And there _certainly_ weren’t any rules about what to do if one came across a Kingsman.

            Apparently, Galahad looked just as surprised as Jodie sounded when he gave the suggestion. "Together?” The man echoed and there was a flicker of unsureness in his eyes. “I don’t believe it’s wise,” He said, tilting his head in the direction of Sebastian’s earpiece. “MI6 knows little to nothing about us and we’d like to keep it that way.”

            Sebastian shouldered his gun, shaking his head. “Tough luck. I know about you now, and I want to know more. You owe me that much for cocking up my pursuit.” The man looked affronted and was about to protest. “So we either work together or I’m channeling this to the public HQ line,” he threatened. “As I said. Private channel. Only three people are listening in.”

            Galahad still look unconvinced but he knew a threat when he saw one. Sebastian saw him fiddling with his watch on his hand and without thinking, he slid his pistol out of its holster and pointed it straight at the innocent-looking hand. It stilled immediately. “You shoot me with something, people are going to know,” he said sternly. “We work together or your organization is going on the headlines. Deal?”

            Slowly, the hand fell away from the watch and Galahad was staring at him like he was a mystery. “Does MI6 usually beg for help on missions?”          

            He could hear the insult but Sebastian refused to acknowledge it, instead biting the inside of his cheek tightly. “I’m not asking for your help,” he growled. “I’m keeping you around so I can keep an eye on you. Your help is simply a bonus factor.”

            Galahad’s brows raised up slightly but after a beat of silence, he nodded. “Alright,” he said, raising his hands up in a surrender position. “We’ll work together. What’s your mission?”

            Sebastian gave it a second before he dropped the pistol, sliding it back into the holster. “Bring him back alive for questioning.”

            That caused a frown to appear on the other’s face. “Shame. Mine is a kill-on-sight.”

            “Why the hell would you want to kill him on sight?”

            Galahad shrugged. “We have his workers, his base, and his routine transport schedule. We collected everything we need to take it all down. All that’s left is killing off the man in charge. There’s nothing he can tell us that we don’t already know.”

            Sebastian gaped at the gentleman spy and he heard Jodie swear in his ears as the keyboard came to life again. They had little to nothing on Irustrado and yet this man made it sound like the criminal was simply just a fly on the wall that needed swatting. A wave of suspicion as well as admiration in regards to Kingsman washed over him but he schooled his features, refusing to look impressed.

            “Well, we were thinking that the Queen would want to have a word with this traitor,” he muttered.

            He earned a confused look as Galahad stared at him. “Why the hell would she want to talk to him?”

            Sebastian couldn’t exactly come up with a reply for that, honestly. While it was only he, Jodie and Nobby active on the case, they had agreed with Brockard that it would be amusing for the man to be interrogated by the Queen herself. It didn’t sink into mind now that the woman probably 1) didn’t give a shit 2) wanted him dead immediately before he could do anything worse.

            “She wouldn’t, nevermind,” Sebastian grumbled despite Jodie’s huff of surprise at the plan change as he gestured down the alley with his gun. “Alright, so what’s the plan?”

            Galahad gave him a condescending look, one that Sebastian wanted to shoot right off of his posh face for a single moment. “You rope me into helping you and you don’t even have a plan set out?”

            “Don’t be daft,” he covered up quickly, rolling his eyes. “I was asking if you had a plan and I’d simply find a way to weave mine through. We need to figure out if he’s still in that building. How good is your intel?” He asked, his eyes pointing towards Galahad’s ear.

            “Superb,” the man said absently as he already began tuning in to whatever was being spoken in his ear. Sebastian himself turned away and began whispering hastily into his earpiece, quietly enough that Galahad would not hear him this time.

            “What am I supposed to do?” He barked softly and he heard Nobby’s obnoxious laughter through the earpiece.

            “Well,” Nobby said and Sebastian could practically hear the shit-eating grin on his brother’s face. “I neva’ ‘eard that one come outta me bruva’s mouth before, eh, Jodie? Confused an’ needin’ help. Whatta first. Also, that ain’ th’ plan, bruv. Killin’ ‘im on sight.”

            Sebastian clenched his fist at his sides, willing himself to stay calm. “Shut up, Nobby. I know what I’m supposed to do in regards to Irustrado. What I am _not_ trained in is how I’m supposed to deal with a joint mission when my partner is some stranger from a different agency!”

            Nobby simply snickered into his ear. “Sounds like a lot ‘o work for ya, bruv. Good luck, yeah?”

            He exhaled deeply, forcing himself to stay calm. Galahad behind him had also taken the liberty of taking a few steps away and speaking furiously into his earpiece. Whoever this man was and wherever he came from, he was good. Spectacular, even. To be able to fight against MI6’s top agent and still – regrettably – _win_ , as well as having intel on a mark that Sebastian had been tracking for the past few weeks with no good results. Kingsman sounded like something he wanted on his radar twenty-four seven, whether or not Brockard knew.

            Which, as he didn’t tell Galahad, was that this was not a private mission and that there were many more people tuned into his line. But it came as a total surprise to him when no call from Brockard or HQ came in, demanding his retreat or giving him orders to shoot the man down. Brockard and his people were uncharacteristically silent.

            “Jodie, where’s the rest of HQ?” He asked and he heard the telltale sigh of the woman whenever she was exasperated.

            “Gone,” she said flatly.

            Sebastian balked. “What the- What do you mean, _gone_?”

            “I mean gone,” she repeated. “When I found the file and cracked it open, revealing Kingsman details, the screen shut down for a second before it came back up. The file was gone. Brockard came up to me just a few minutes ago and told me that you were on your own. He said, and I repeat, ‘If Kingsman had it, we shouldn’t have sent him out.’” Sebastian nearly groaned out loud. “Also, the moment Green Earth picked up image of that agent, Galahad, Brockard turned off all surveillance. Everyone’s confused but he’s put me and Nobby in charge of making sure you come home safe.”

            All of the information seemed too much. It couldn’t have been real, but judging by Jodie’s frantic typing and Nobby’s little hum of agreement during her explanation, he knew that he was well and truly alone. And fucked.

            “Bloody coward,” he muttered under his breath. “Didn’t even have the guts to tell me that Kingsman is a thing. Just shutting off the whole damn thing, what was he thinking!?”

            “Prob’ jus’ wanted it all down befo’ any otha’ people saw th’ Kingsman bloke,” said Nobby and he sighed. He was right, after all.

            Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that Galahad had finished his phone call and instead was loitering around the entrance way he had come out of, not looking at Sebastian. But he was listening, that was for sure. How much he heard, Sebastian didn’t know.

            With a frown, he turned back to glare heatedly at the wall. “So what do I do?” He asked, dropping his voice even lower.

            “You’re stuck with him,” said Jodie. “You kind of pulled yourself into this mess, Sebastian. Focus on the mission…whatever mission it is now, and if he can help, great. Just don’t compromise him if he tries to do something. Kingsman is…” She sighed. “I didn’t get to read much on the file but all I know is that they’re good. Very good.”

            “Of course,” Sebastian muttered.

            “An’ don’t try an’ kill him eitha’!” quipped Nobby as he turned around to face the gentleman once more.

            Galahad was studiously analyzing his watch, twisting dials here and there and Sebastian knew that it wasn’t _just_ a watch. When he turned around, the man looked up and shot him a polite smile. “Alright over there at HQ?” He asked, and Sebastian’s nerves sent a shot of cold up his entire body as he figured that somehow, _somehow_ , Galahad knew that he was cut off from their main intel.

            “Everything’s fine,” he answered back steadily instead. “And you? How does…” He quirked his head. “ _Merlin_ like knowing that you’re working with me?”

            “Oh, he doesn’t,” Galahad replied easily. “In fact, this entire mission’s been quite cocked up now. I can’t amnesia dart you because as you say, people would know. And Kingsman doesn’t want people on our trail.”  

            Sebastian frowned. “Amnesia- Don’t you fucking dare put a-“

            “I wasn’t going to,” Galahad said coldly. “Not anymore, anyway. As you said, we’re in this together now.” He extended a hand out and Sebastian stared at in before realizing it was for a handshake. Cautiously, he took it and shook. “We’re on the same side, going after the same mark. There’s no need for malice between us.”

            With a firm nod of his head, he realized that Galahad was quite right. They had only met on the wrong foot but ultimately, they were working towards the same goal. “Agreed.”

            “Good,” Galahad said. “Now, I think it’s best if we leave our mark be for an evening but still keep track of him while we sort out what our game plan will be together. Shall we find some place to eat?”

            Shocked at the sudden change in mission, he pulled back, frowning. “Leave him?” He said incredulously. “We can’t just fucking let him go-“

            “Oh of course not, Agent Graves,” Galahad said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small tablet that was the size of his hand. “I’ve got a tracker on him that I placed on all of his clothes a few days ago.” He raised up the tracker to show that Irustrado was still, in fact, inside of the building and had probably been there throughout their entire conversation. “We’ll know his every step while we enjoy a lovely glass of pinot noir tonight. What say you?”

            Sebastian was too focused on the tablet to hear Galahad’s urges for dinner. It wasn’t until they had stashed their gear in a discreet location and Sebastian had donned something more appropriate for walking in public did he all but jam his fingers into his ear, and whisper furiously.

            “A _tracker_ , Jodie. They’ve already gotten a tracker on him while I’ve been stalking the bastard for _weeks_. What the _fuck?_ ”

            Jodie let out a groan and Sebastian thought he heard the sound of hands slapping against a desk. “I don’t _know_ , Sebastian. I don’t anything about this group! The file said they’re brilliant and judging by this, I’d say they’re pretty fucking fantastic at what they do.”

            Sebastian didn’t have an answer but the beat of silence was quickly interrupted by Nobby’s hoot of laughter. It sounded as if he was eating.

            “Oh man, Coddy,” and Sebastian grimaced at the mirth he heard in his brother’s voice. “This guy’s pretty good, yeah? Pick up some tips while yo’ at it, ‘kay? An’ ask ‘im where he bought tha’ fuckin’ suit of ‘is!”

            Before he could snap swears that would catch Galahad’s attention, he switched off the microphone, glowering heavily at the situation.

            He wasn’t _jealous_.

            Alright, maybe he was. Just a bit. How did such a top notch agent and agency just slip by Sebastian’s knowledge without notice? Galahad was fucking great at what he did and the urge to know everything about the man and his organization was enough to keep him angry for months.

            “A fucking tracker,” he said under his breath, envious that he hadn’t thought about it before.

            “Yes, Mister Graves,” came a posh voice and the man was startled to see Galahad glancing at him as they walked. A smirk was on his lips. “They’ve proven quite useful in the spy world, I heard.”

            God damn it all. This man was quickly figuring out the exact ways to not only push his buttons, but to jam them so far up his arse that Sebastian wanted to shoot him in the head yet steal all of his secrets.

**\---**

            Surprisingly, dinner was a pleasant experience. They were outside at a patio table and despite the fact that they had started off their acquaintanceship with guns at each other’s throats, Sebastian found himself quite amicable towards the young agent Galahad. He was surprised by just how much of a gentleman he was. His choice in foods, his wine, his fucking manners were all on point.

            But luckily for Sebastian, he hadn’t been raised up by a baron and baroness for the hell of it.

            He was able to thoroughly surprise Galahad himself by his polite talk, knowledge on worldly politics and his own perfect manners, thank you very much. Just because Galahad was in a suit and Sebastian was wearing a soft jumper and slacks didn’t mean that they were any less different.

            “So, Mister Graves-“

            “Sebastian,” He cut in absently, as he plucked his wine glass off the table and taking a small sip. Mister Graves sounded ridiculously informal and the last time he heard that was years ago when he was applying for the agent job at MI6. Ever since then, it had been either an alias, Agent Graves, or Sebastian. “Just call me Sebastian.”

            Galahad’s brows lifted up at the name he was urged to be used as a familiar and he tilted his head slightly in agreement. “Sebastian,” he corrected. “So Sebastian-“

            “Nuh uh,” Sebastian cut in and he ignored the miffed look of Galahad who had been interrupted for a second time. “You know my name. I’m not going to settle for this ‘code name Galahad’ shit. You tell me your name, I’ll be satisfied.”

            He heard a small sigh in his ear. “You know, Sebastian, it’d be much easier to politely ask him what his name is rather than demand and threaten.” Jodie’s voice scolded him through his earpiece but he ignored it.

            “I’ve always believed that niceties were a custom that never faded,” Galahad said wryly, rubbing his finger against the side of his wine glass.

            “Niceties went out the window when you proved that Kingsman knew more about me than I knew of all of you in particular.”

            He heard Nobby’s loud laugh and Jodie’s quiet muttering. Luckily, Galahad simply smiled faintly at him and nodding slightly.

            “Fair enough. My name is Harry Hart.”

            “Harry,” Sebastian repeated, tasting the name on his mouth. It fit the posh man before him to a point. “Nice to meet you Harry.”     

            He received a snicker. “And I thought niceties went out the window?”

            Unable to suppress a smirk at Harry’s cheek, he chuckled and leaned back in his seat, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Harry, how is it that I’m the top agent on MI6’s clandestine division and yet over all the god damn years I’ve worked for them, I have not heard a single thing about Kingsman? If you weren’t so damn good at fighting, I would’ve thought you were feeding me bullshit about some independent organization.”

            Harry smiled. “Thank you for the compliment. And I must say, Sebastian, it’s entirely not your fault as an agent. Your records say you definitely are the best of the best and I don’t doubt your knowledge on most things around the agency. However, Kingsman is quite different.”

            There was a beat of silence and Sebastian stared at him, waiting for him to explain. But when Harry simply tilted his head to the side and took a long sip of his wine, he understood.

            With only a split second of hesitation, he lifted his fingers. Jodie’s voice rang clear. “Agent Graves? Is he going to keep-“ With a small click, his earpiece fell silent.

            Harry nodded, placing his wine glass down. “We’ve been around since the first world war. Created by a bunch of men with too much money and an urge to protect mankind. Thus, Kingsman was born. We work alongside most intelligence organizations with bases scattered all over the globe, but our base is England.” He hesitated and Sebastian saw his eyes flicker off to the side. “Oh shut up, Merlin.”

            Sebastian blinked before he realized that Harry’s earpiece was still going and he looked up and greeted the server who brought out the desert.

            “A little bird in your ear advising you against telling your agency’s secrets?” He asked politely, sticking his spoon into the custard-like substance.

            “Something like that,” came Harry’s exasperated sigh before he simply just started talking again. “Merlin, I trust that you put whatever little faith you have in me into this one moment and leave me alone. I know what I’m doing and yes, I know fully well what Mister Graves here is capable of and I’d appreciate it if you just _let me deal with this_. Go bother Percival.” There was a silence as Harry glared at his desert and Sebastian stared at him, then the other man lifted his fingers and pressed the side of his glasses.

            _Clever_ , Merlin thought idly.

            “I’m sorry about that,” Harry said, looking truly distressed. “I usually never speak to him while in the presence of another but his incessant voice was just too much to bear.”

            Sebastian waved his had in dismissal. “It’s nothing. Obnoxious handler?” He couldn’t say that he understood the sentiment, what with Jodie – and the occasional Nobby – being better voices in his ear than he trusted anyone else at HQ to be.

            Harry smiled thinly. “He’s a very smart man with intelligence that could best thousands. I trust him with my life despite his tyrant-like directions from time to time.”

            With an understanding nod, Sebastian lifted up the glass. “So, you hate him.”

            The other let out a short, loud laugh and he nodded, eyes full of mirth. “Off the record, yes. I suppose I do.”

            Sebastian let out a huff of amusement as he nodded. He opened his mouth to speak but in that moment, a loud crack filled the air and Harry jerked forward onto the table, spilling wine as his body jolted from a strong force.

            “What the-“ Sebastian yelled, jumping from his seat and throwing himself to the ground when another splatter of cracks ripped through the sky. He watched as Harry rolled over onto the ground, under the table and he stared in shock and a little bit of horror as the man groaned despite getting shot right in the back. “How the-“

            “Bullet proof,” Harry grunted, trying to sit up. Sebastian stared at his body and back before he realized that the _suit itself was bullet proof_.

            “Fucking hell,” he said in awe as Harry reached in to drag two pistols from inside his jacket. He tossed one to Sebastian who caught it with ease. “I have one,” he tried to protest but Harry shook his head, already pressing the comms button on his glasses to turn them on.

            “Kingsman special revolver. It can also shoot shotgun rounds for something close and messy. Merlin, we’re being shot at.”

            Sebastian scrambled to click his ear piece as well, muttering ‘Green Earth’ to start up his lenses. He was met with a barrage of questions.

            “SEB!” Nobby all but screamed. “Where were ya bruv? We thought ye-“

            “Agent Graves, what is going on- why are you under a table?”

            “Jodie, Nobby, we’re being shot at,” he said quickly as Harry motioned him to follow and they quietly slinked from under the table. As they began sprinting towards the door of the restaurant, more bullets screamed through the air, missing the two of them by mere inches.

            Immediately, Jodie’s fingers were clicking. “There are two of them up on top of the building to your back. There’s three more shooters on the ground, heading straight for you two. Watch your back.”

            “Noted,” Sebastian muttered as he and Harry weaved through the tables. He saw that the man was quiet, no doubt listening to his handler’s instructions intently, but eventually, they crashed through the kitchens and out the back doors.

            With no one in the alley, they ran, Sebastian following Harry close to his heels. The other man seemed to know exactly where they were going and while he wanted to ask once again, he knew that they were running from killers that didn’t like to waste time. “How did they know we were there?” He said, swearing quietly. His mission hadn’t needed him to immerse himself in the crowd. He was a shadow and there was no way anyone could’ve recognized him. Harry, however, he didn’t know.

            “I’m afraid that was probably my fault,” Harry admitted as they turned a corner. “My face and choice of clothing is not a hard appearance to forget, especially when I’ve taken down many of their smaller branches in the same way. A shame, I was enjoying dinner.”

            Unable to find an answer to that, Sebastian simply shook his head and followed the other agent until they burst into an open courtyard with nobody around. They halted, scoping out the surroundings, then dropped the weapons when they deemed that they were alone.

            “Did you really take down their branches?” Sebastian asked once they had relaxed slightly.

            Harry shook his head. “No. My colleagues did. I was tasked with taking out Irustrado. But we all wear the same thing, so I’m not surprised that I was easily mistaken as another knight.”

            Sebastian looked him over once more and felt a new raise of appreciation for the suit that the agent was wearing. Instead of simply wearing it for show, it sounded much more like a uniform or an armour. Bulletproof with hidden pockets for guns and who knows what else, the Kingsman’s suit seemed incredibly _clever_.

            “Knights? So that’s why you have code names such as Galahad, Percival and Merlin?”

            Harry shot him a look. “Merlin is not a knight.”        

            “But he’s from Arthur’s reign. Ah, let me guess. The head of Kingsman is named Arthur?”

            He received a small smile. “Indeed. You catch on quick, Sebastian.”

            “Your code names aren’t that particularly clever, Harry.”

            A shrug. “Perhaps not. But they serve their need well. The suit is a modern gentleman’s armour. And we are the new knights.”

            Sebastian stared at him for a bit before shaking his head with a small snort. It sounded very ‘knight in shining armour’ and ‘gallantry and chivalry’ but he had to admit that even if their antics were ridiculously corny, they were good at what they did.

            “Well, _knight_ , what are we supposed to do now? Irustrado knows we’re here, no doubt. If we’re going with your mission, how do we get to him?”

            Harry let out a long sigh and he turned his head slightly away, listening. “Merlin says he’s got all his men running around looking for us. There’s about a handful left where he is. If we can sneak in and take them out quickly enough, we’ll be able to get to Irustrado.”

            Sebastian nodded, hefting the pistol in his hands. He looked down at it, knowing that it was a ‘special Kingsman revolver.’ He had the strongest urge to dissect it and see how it worked.

            “Where is he?”

            “The building we left him in,” Harry replied, pulling out the tablet and glancing at it. “It seems as though we’ve tracked him straight to his hideout without knowing.”

            “Brilliant,” Sebastian replied. “How do we get in?”

            This time, Jodie replied in his ear and his small blink of surprise at her voice indicated to Harry that he was being spoken to. “There are a few doors in the back guarded by only one man. His heat signal says that he’s somewhere at the top and stairs are to the left once you get inside. The rest of his men are with him upstairs. I’d say a split mission where one of you gets the guards downstairs while the other aims for Irustrado from above.”

            He relayed the mission plan to Harry who simply nodded. “Sounds good,” the agent said while sliding the tablet back into his pocket. “Let’s go.”

             Surprisingly, the entire mission went off without a single hitch. Sebastian was tasked with getting the guards below while Harry _literally_ scaled the side of the building just so that he had access into the highest window. One guard was easy, three guards was not a problem, and the last guard that was yelling at him in a foreign language while holding up a rifle was exceptionally easier to deal with due to the adrenaline pumping through Sebastian’s blood.

            To hear the satisfying bang come from behind the doorway let Sebastian to believe that Harry had done exceeding well too.

            The door was opened and Harry smiled politely at him, still impeccable in his suit and not a single hair out of place. Sebastian snickered, nodding at the other agent and off they went, explaining to their respective handlers about a job well done.

            It was when they were about to split ways to their own drop off points did Harry stick his hand out for another handshake. “We make an extraordinary team, Sebastian,” Harry said with sincerity in his eyes.

            Startled by the compliment and the not-so-subtle way of Harry saying they should team up again in the future, he simply shook it with a small nod of his head. “Aye, that we do,” he said quietly. “I trust you’ll get back to wherever Kingsman is safely?”

            Harry’s hart glittered with mirth. “Really, Sebastian. Niceties at the end?”

            It earned a punch on his shoulder with Sebastian rolling his eyes. “I’m asking so that you guys don’t peg me for something I didn’t do, like you dying in an unfortunate plane crash along the way.”

            “Is that a threat?” Harry asked while raising an eyebrow, though his words were filled with amusement.

            “It will be if you don’t get out of my sight, Hart,” he replied with ease. “I’ve had enough of you for one day. Perhaps a life time.”

            Harry chuckled and nodded. “The sentiments are wholeheartedly returned, Sebastian. Perhaps I’ll see you again in the future.”

            The other agent’s voice had gone back to sincere at the last statement and Sebastian couldn’t help but smile faintly and dip his head. “Good luck, Agent Galahad.”

            “And to you, Agent Graves.”

**\---**

            He didn’t think it was even remotely possible for him to see the other agent again in his life, yet there he was, standing at a newspaper stand nonchalantly across the street from him. Sebastian knew immediately that it was Agent Galahad simply by his stance, glasses, and telltale prim hair. Without knowing what he was doing, he was crossing the busy London street and stepping up in front of the mildly surprised man.

            “Harry,” he greeted.

            “Sebastian,” Harry replied and the agent was somewhat relieved that the man remembered his name. “What a fortunate coincidence, seeing you here. Are you on business?”

            It wasn’t hard to catch onto the fact that while Sebastian may have not been on duty, Harry definitely was. He was simply standing there, eyes roving the crowd every few seconds and Sebastian could bet his right arm that Merlin was in his ear.

            “No,” he said with a shake of his head. “This is one of my rare afternoon’s off. I’m taking it you’re on duty?”

            A faint smile flickered across Harry’s lips as once again his eyes scanned the crowd before returning back to Sebastian’s face. That was all the confirmation he needed.

            “I see. Well, the long months have done you a favour, my friend. You seem fitter.”

            Harry let out a startled laugh. “What a surprising compliment from you, Sebastian. Though I thank you very much so. It’s been too long.” Whatever Harry heard in his ear must have been irritating because his smile dimmed slightly but the polite façade didn’t fade. “We must catch up again.”

            “Of course,” Sebastian said. “I’ll leave you to your mission. I hope it goes well.”

            Before he could turn, however, Harry shook his head. “It’s simply recon.” He grimaced, no doubt earning scolding from Merlin as to admitting to his mission. “A case lying around that I got the misfortune of being handed.”

            Sebastian had the strongest urge to pull Harry aside and tell him that an insufferable handler had no reason of being a handler at all, but they weren’t from the same place. Perhaps all Kingsman handlers were pain in the arses, if Harry’s constant expressions were anything to go by. Instead, he smirked. “How boring. How goes the mark?”

            “ _Incredibly_ boring,” Harry replied with a drawl. His eyes flickered away for a moment and back to Sebastian and judging by Harry’s relaxed stance, whoever his mark was truly very boring.

            Taking that as a sign that the other agent wanted him to stick around and talk, Merlin paid for a newspaper from the booth next to them and moved to lean against a pole, perusing it while Harry stood by inconspicuously. They looked like two blokes simply enjoying the London smog.

            “So how old are you, Hart? And don’t tell me shit like ‘classified’ because really. At this point, it’s all obsolete.”

            “Polite as always, Graves,” Sighed Harry. But he indulged the man in glancing at him. “Twenty five.”

            “You’re young,” Sebastian marked in surprise. Harry certainly didn’t seem twenty-five. “And you were sent on a kill mission?”

            Harry hesitated for a moment, tilting his head before looking at him. “It was my first one,” he explained. “I was just recently recruited and accepted. They usually throw their new agents into a hard mission to get the ‘jitters’ out.” Harry glanced away again. “The reason I’m on this recon mission-“

            “Let me guess,” Sebastian said with growing realization. “Me meeting you botched up the Irustrado mission and your punishment was a couple of months off duty and now you’re back on with useless recon?” The silence was confirmation enough. “I truly apologize.”

            “No matter,” Harry said with a shrug. “How old are you?”

            “Twenty-six.”

            Harry glanced at him with an appraising look before nodding. “How have you already lost your hair?”

            The question startled Sebastian and he nearly dropped the paper. “I- Er. It was a personal choice. I shave it.”

            That earned a raised brow. “I highly doubt that.”

            They stared at each other for a few seconds but Harry was the first to break, his eyes seeking out his mark once more. Sebastian sighed. “Illness as a child.”

            “Cancer?”

            Sebastian snorted. “Fortunately not. No. Something obscure.” He shrugged. He didn’t mind the bald head at such a young age. It made him look more mature than his age. Few people bothered him because of it, assuming he was in his thirties and up simply because of how he looked and dressed. Harry was the first person he willingly shared his age with.

            Harry was quiet for a moment, then shot Sebastian a curious look. “You should join Kingsman.”

            No doubt Sebastian’s silence was just as contrasting as the yelling in Harry’s ear. Sebastian could actually _hear_ it. The young agent visibly jerked and his fingers flickered upwards, as if to yank the glasses away. But instead, he pressed a hidden button that silenced the shotus and his expression turned determined. “You would do well in our agency.”

            Still caught off guard, Sebastian slowly folded the paper and shoved it in his back trouser pockets, rubbing his wrists a bit before dropping his hands and looking at the hopeful agent. He was much different than the ruthless man he had met in the Middle East, but perhaps it was because it was his first mission and Harry was trying his hardest not to screw it up any more than he already had. Now, stuck with easy recon, the man was much more amicable.

            Well. It was either that, or that fact that Harry Hart still seemed very green to the spy world.

            “I don’t think,” Sebastian started off slowly. “That it’s appropriate for agents to persuade other agents to shift loyalties.” He was pretty damn sure that was even a rule. Agents from different organizations were not supposed to even know each other existed, let alone tell them they’d do better in their own respective organization.

            Of course, that didn’t mean Sebastian had his own moments of wondering how life was like in Kingsman. Underneath Harry’s coat he could still see the stiff-pressed collar and faint pinstripe suit. Always looking prim and proper.

            “I’m not telling you to ‘shift loyalties’,” Harry argued before sighing. “Shit. The mark’s left. Merlin?”

            Sebastin turned his head to see that yes, the little corner café that Harry had been eyeing during their entire conversation had cleared out considerably, leaving only a handful of customers. No doubt the mark probably left as well, slipping past Harry’s watchful eye at that one inopportune moment.

            He stayed quiet, allowing whatever sharing of information to pass between Harry and his handler, studiously avoiding the pained looks on the young agent’s face. Yes, Harry was still new. He was young and this was only his second mission out on the field after a few months of ‘punishment’. Sebastian felt a little bad at cocking up his very first one and practically being the reason why Harry was dealing with an aggressive handler and boring recon missions but at the same time, he was intrigued by the Kingsman agent.

            Rookie or not, Harry Hart was still pretty good at what he did.

            He tuned back in when Harry began talking to him. “Merlin said it doesn’t matter anymore; he’s got all the information he needed just through the video transmission.” Though it was technically a job well done, Harry didn’t seem all that overjoyed.

            “And…?”

            “He says if I don’t get my shit together, they’re going to basically put me on a probationary period with extensive training before tossing me out on the field again.”

            “Ah.”

            Harry’s face turned petulant and for a moment, he looked even younger than simply twenty-five. “It’s really not my fault that both missions I’ve been sent on were screwed up by you.”

            Sebastian nearly spluttered. “Screwed up-? Excuse me, but all I’ve done right now was stand around and talk!”

            The other agent had the gall to roll his eyes. “Yes, but you’re very distracting.” Sebastian pressed his lips thin. No matter where you were from, Kingsman or MI6, distracting a person can sound like a flattering compliment in some ways but to agents, it could be an insult. “I don’t know many other agents.”

            “What do you mean?” Sebastian asked, cocking his head. “Aren’t there other agents you work with at Kingsman?”

            “Oh yes,” Harry said dismissively, shifting on his feet. “But I’ve already told you. I’m new. I was recently recruited and even so, our agents are all over the world. There’s about twelve of us but they only come back to HQ for a few days or so to rest and recuperate, then get a new mission and disappear.”

            “And you never bothered to try and meet or spend time with any?”

            Harry gave him a pursed look. “They might see me as a knight amongst them now, but they are still bitter over the recruitment process and their own candidate not being able to get the spot.”          

            Sebastian blinked, not understanding a single word in that sentence. “Pardon? Candidate?”

            There was another small staring contest before Harry blinked, no doubt realizing that MI6 certainly did not work the same way Kingsman did in recruiting new agents. With a small wrinkle of his nose and a glance left and right to scan the crowd, he then tilted his head in the direction of the shop that his mark was previously in. “Coffee? I’ll explain. It’s quite a clever process, if you ask me.”

**\---**

            It had come to his attention that Sebastian was spending a dizzying amount of time with the Kingsman agent Galahad, also known as Harry Hart. He wasn’t sure if it was the fact that Harry was around his age, shared the same type of humour and conversation as he did, or that he was a very proper bloke that Sebastian didn’t feel embarrassed to be around. Whichever way, Merlin could easily dub the other man as a ‘friend.’

            A concept that would have scared him to have ever since he started working as a spy.

            After their little afternoon session filled with coffee and Harry practically fucking the ‘discretion’ part of his job, Sebastian had learned much more about Kingsman than he ever thought he would.

            Apparently, recruits were chosen as candidates by the other knights in order to fill the spot of a knight that had died. Ultimately, Galahad had successfully earned the spot and much to the chagrin of the other knights, he was doing spectacular in training.

            Much to their delight, however, he had successfully botched up both of his field missions so far. So as of now, Harry was stuck in a rather delicate situations amongst his colleagues.

            But Harry did keep some things private such as where Kingsman was located, how their transportation worked, and the intelligence behind the agents. It was enough to have Sebastian nearly begging for more information, if he didn’t live for propriety.

            After that, they had agreed to meet up again for coffee and lunch.

            And then again, for a drink at a bar.

            And then at Harry’s house, for a drink there.

            And then at Sebastian’s house, for a friendly dinner.

            And again.

            And again.

            It got to the point where it was no longer under the radar for either of the agents’ organizations. Sebastian was shrugging on his winter coat, ready to step outside and meet Harry for a pint since the man was having a shit day. As soon as he opened the door, however, he was all but barreled back inside by two people that he usually only heard in his ear.

            “Jodie,” he said in surprise, staring at the woman who looked positively angry. “Nobby?” His brother bustled in after her, giving him a sheepish grin.

            “’Lo, bruva. Jodie thought we’d come in an’ ‘ave a little chat wif ye. Ye goin’ out somewhere?”

            Sebastian looked down at his winter walking gear and looked back up to Jodie’s silent yet hunted face. He loosened his scarf. “No, please do come in,” he said unable to keep the drawl from his last few words.

            Jodie simply gave him a glare before stalking into his kitchen while Nobby clasped him on the shoulder, holding him back just for a moment to lean in and whisper loudly in his ear. “I’d be careful wif ‘er, if I was ye. She was a fuckin’ rocket o’ words in th’ car. Now she looks like she’s gonna kill ye.”

            Exasperated, and just a little bit worried for his own safety now, Sebastian nodded and shrugged his brother’s hand off. “Thank you, Nobby. Jodie,” he called out, following her into the kitchen where she was already making herself a cup of tea. Harry’s words echoed in his head about niceties. “Would you like me to do that for you?” He asked as he unwound his scarf and laid it on the back of a kitchen chair.

            “No,” she said primly, stirring as she turned her head towards him. “What I would like,” she stated with a frown, “Is an explanation for why all of your missions are performed half-arse and why we keep getting intel that you’ve continued to see that Kingsman agent.”

            “They’re not half-arsed,” Sebastian protested but he knew it was a weak argument. He _did_ know he was slacking off. It was imperceptible, seen only by his handlers whenever he shirked off or did something sloppily, but as long as Brockard knew that he did the job then technically it was all that mattered. Theoretically.

            “Yes they are,” Jodie argued, finishing her tea and nearly slamming the small stirring spoon down. “As soon as you’re done with missions – which, if I may say, you try and do as quickly as possible – you’re off! Off with that… That _Kingsman_ agent. You are aware we’re not supposed to be fraternizing with-“

            “Don’t you dare say ‘the enemy,’ Jodie,” Sebastian said gripping the back of the chair tight. “He works the same way we work, just under a different name. We are practically the same. We work for our country.”

            That earned him an exasperated look. “You don’t get it,” Jodie said. “It doesn’t matter that we all work for the good of the country. It’s the fact that no one knows anything about him or his agency and he knows _everything_ about us, if not more. He’s suspicious and even if his actions scream patriotism, how are you even certain he’s not playing you?”

            Sebastian was very tempted to splutter again but after being caught off guard by Harry so many times, he had learned to keep his indignation to himself. “I know more about Kingsman than any of you,” he said carefully, noting with confirmed suspicion as Jodie’s eyes lit up, quickly veiled with nonchalance interest.

            “And are you going to tell us anything?” His handler asked, a curious voice masked by professionalism. "Every time I bring it up to Brockard, he shuts down and kicks me out of his office.”

            That caused alarm to rise. “You talked to Brockard about this?” He said loudly. “Kingsman is secret! Of course he’d shut you down-“

            “Oh, and are you part of Kingsman now yourself then, keeping their secrets and spending time with their agents?” Jodie snapped, hand slamming against the counter, tea all but forgotten. “The way you make it sound, Sebastian, is that you’re practically on their side!”

            “There are no sides!” He roared, lifting his hands. “He’s just a friend that I enjoy the company of, one that particularly happens to work in the same field as me! That’s _normal_!”

            Jodie shook her head adamantly. “But what’s _not_ normal is that he’s from an organization that we know nothing about and can therefore not be able to tell you whether or not he’s going to lead you right into a trap or kill you.”

            Sebastian was silent in disbelief, trying to imagine a Harry Hart trying to kill him. There was no doubt that the other agent was strong and if they ever were in a fight between each other, it would be quite fair of a match.

            But still, Harry Hart would not kill him.

            “He’s not trying to kill me,” he said simply, unable to say much else. He wasn’t sure why exactly but Jodie’s words rang unnaturally true. He didn’t _want_ to tell MI6 about Kingsman. He didn’t want to tell his own agency about this possible threat (which was already cleared of suspicion, if Jodie would only remember the fucking files she read). And, surprising enough to even Sebastian, he figured that whatever Jodie did or said, he wouldn’t tell them at all.

            “What if I am?” He said suddenly, freezing Jodie. Behind him moved a presence and Sebastian barely remembered that Nobby was there.

            His brother moved forward into his line of sight, a confused look on his face. “What if yer a wha’?”

            He glanced at Nobby slightly, eyes still on the still form of Jodie. “What if I am,” he repeated, “A Kingsman?”

            “Impossible,” his handler said primly, shaking her head jerkily. “Don’t bullshit me, Graves. Whatever this sick fascination you have with Kingsman is, you need to get your head out of your arse and focus-“

            “I can prove it,” Sebastian argued, taking a step forward. “I’m one of them now. I have been, for a while. That’s why my missions are all sloppy. I do things for them as well. My schedule is packed.”

            Jodie stared at him with horror in her eyes while Nobby reached forward to tug at his sleeve. “Bruv, ye kno’ that’s practically treason on MI6 an’ such-“

            “It’s not treason,” Sebastian said in exasperation, slapping the flat of his hand on the chair and looking at his brother. “We’re both working for _the same fucking thing_.” He was this close to spouting Shakespeare nonsense about roses and names but he needed to keep a level head. He dug a hole and he was intending to dig deeper.

            “So what’s yer proof?” Nobby asked stoically, pulling away and crossing his arms. “That yer a Kingsman an’ whatnot.”

            Jodie looked expectant to hear his proof as well and Sebastian ran through all the small bits of information in his head that he knew from what Harry told him.

            Harry, who was probably waiting in the pub, possibly shitfaced because not only did he have a shit day that Sebastian was not able to hear about, but that Sebastian didn’t even show up. He couldn’t even send an excuse, damnit.

            “I was recruited as a candidate,” he began. “That’s how they do things there. Each knight (“Knight?” echoed Jodie) chooses a candidate to replace a fallen agent. I went through training and with my skills from MI6, it was an easy job to grab.” He knew that this story was a stretch. Agents don’t just up and leave their organizations and they certainly don’t do it without alerting _anyone_. Plus, Jodie knew that Sebastian trusted her with his life and all his doings. To suddenly know this about him, he understood her pain.

            But he also knew there was little he could do about it.

            “That’s not enough,” she whispered, shaking her head again so firmly that he was afraid she would get whiplash. “That’s too soon, too fast. You can’t have-“

            “I have a codename,” Sebastian said. “I have-“ His hand had slipped into his coat pocket where he felt smooth metal against his fingers. It was a medal Harry had given him after their fifth or sixth afternoon spent together.

            _“We’re only supposed to give these out to the families of agents who died,” Harry explained, handing him the small braided circlet with a sideways K. Sebastian peered at him curiously. “To offer them a favour. But you’re my friend and my boss will know if my phone number has been registered onto another phone.”_

_“It’s a peculiar shade of pink on the rim,” Sebastian noted, holding up the medal._

_Harry snorted, nodding. “It’s strange, but I suppose that’s the essence of Kingsman. Look at the back.”_

_Sebastian flipped it over and saw a date engraved on the back. “Is this…”_

_“The date we met, yes.”_

_“Sentimental, are we?” Sebastian gave him a smirk._

_Harry rolled his eyes. “Well, usually they show the death date of the agent that died. So if you truly want to go with tradition…”_

_They both laughed and Sebastian tucked the medal in his pocket. “Thank you.”_

_“You’re welcome, Sebastian.”_

“I have this,” he said, pulling out the medal. Nobby let out a deep sigh while Jodie dropped her head, fingers dragging themselves through her hair. “My codename. It’s-“ He pressed his lips thin, his mind running through all possible names. Out of his own accord, he had researched the knights of Arthur, becoming familiar with their names. When he brought them up to Harry, the other agent simply looked pleased, telling him small innocent facts about the agents that bore their name.

            However, none of the knights came to mind.

            “I’m Merlin.”

            There was a beat of silence before Jodie spoke, incredulous. “Merlin. Like the wizard? You’re lying.” Even Nobby snorted off to the side, repeating ‘Merlin’ like it was a joke.

            “I’m not. They’re all names from Arthur’s reign. Harry is Galahad. His colleagues go by names such as Lancelot and Percival.” He tried to keep the information to a minimum, telling only enough to prove his story. “And I’m Merlin.”

            “Merlin’s not even a knight.”

            A snag. Fuck. He knew that Merlin for Harry was his handler, but Jodie probably thought that Sebastian was still doing agent-like duties.

            “What,” he said with a snort. “There’s around twelve knights at Arthur’s table but did you _really_ think they’re only going to have twelve agents? We’re all called knights. Merlin is just a codename.”

            Jodie stared at him trying to figure out what was a lie and what wasn’t but if there was one thing Sebastian prided himself on, it was having a brilliant poker face. Even in the face of someone as intense as Jodie.

            “Fine.” It was curt and Jodie’s chin snapped towards Nobby. “Let’s go. Agent Graves, we expect your resignation _today_. And you’ll be the one to face Brockard. I have no more say in this.”

            She blew past him so quickly that he Sebastian had to sidestep and Nobby fell into stpe right behind her. He did pause in front of his brother, unable to meet his gaze. “Did ye…” Nobby sighed. “Are ye really quittin’, Seb? Are ye really gonna be a Kingsman?”

            Sebastian hesitated, unsure what to tell him that wouldn’t be passed over to Jodie somehow. Not wanting to risk anything, he reached out to place a light hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Yes.”

            Nobby blew air and nodded, glancing at him once. “Alrigh’, I get it. An’ I believe ye. We’re all workin’ fer th’ same thing. Jes’ a diff’rent name. Jodie’s jes’ sad cuz she doesn’t want ye to go, bruv.” They finally locked eyes. “Neither do I.”

            Giving him the most empathetic smile possible, he nodded, squeezing his shoulder. “I know. I’m sorry, Nobby.”

            “I jes’… Did MI6 do somethin’ wrong, Seb? Is it th’ people? Brockard? Th’ pay?”

            Sebastian shook his head before Nobby could list off anything else. It wasn’t any of the above, really. It was just…well. It was a lie. A badly-planned lie that cost him his _entire_ job. “None of that, Nobby. Kingsman just has…better opportunities for me.”

            Nobby nodded seriously, reaching up to clasp Sebastian’s shoulder in return. “I understan’. It’s th’ penguin suits, innit?” Though it was said in a jest, he could see in his brother’s eyes that the other truly _did_ understand that Sebastian couldn’t – or wouldn’t – talk about it.

            “Yes,” he said with a small chuckle. “It’s the suits.”

            “Nobby!” Jodie’s voice rang from the front foyer. “Let’s go!”

            They shared one last nod, Nobby gave him a horrible toothy grin, and Sebastian walked them out.

            “Jodie-“ he tried to say but the woman simply turned away.

            “Resignation letter,” she said walking down the steps. “By tonight, Graves.”

            He hid a sigh, nodding at Nobby who had turned to wave at him. “Understood.”

            When Sebastian had watched them climb into Jodie’s car and drive away, he hurried back inside the house to grab his scarf, winding it around his neck as he bolted out of the door. He all but threw himself into his car and sped to the pub, running in just as soon as one man was stepping out.

            “Harry!” He breathed.

            “Sebastian,” his friend said in greeting, though there was a disappointed look in his eyes.

            “I’m sorry. I wasn’t able to send any sort of message and-“

            Harry held up a hand. “It’s alright. Completely understandable. You had responsibilities and no contact to me so I completely understand if-“

            This time, Sebastian quieted Harry by grabbing his arm and dragging him back inside of the pub. “No. I no longer have any responsibilities.”

            “What-“

            “I’m quitting MI6.”

            Harry halted, grabbing Sebastian’s sleeve and forcing him to stop as well. “What are you talking about?”

            Sebastian looked around before physically dragging Harry to the closest open booth. They sat down opposite from each other and Harry kept staring at Sebastian with the same shocked disbelief look Nobby had on earlier. “Jodie came to my home just now. That’s why I was late.”

            Harry’s look stayed neutral as he nodded slowly. Sebastian had told him about Jodie and Nobby but they were never bad things. “They’re getting suspicious with my association with you as well as my…lacking in skill during missions.”

            That earned him narrowed eyes from the other agent. “You’ve been slacking, in better terms?”

            “Oh shut up,” Sebastian said with a frown. “They’re mainly so that I can make whatever meeting we’ve set up on time since I can’t send you a simple ‘I’ll be five minutes late’ text or something.”

            Harry pursed his lips but he glanced away and Sebastian knew he was right. “The thing is, they’re getting curious. Annoying curious and when Jodie becomes annoyed _and_ curious, it’s not a good time for me. I told them I was a Kingman.”

            The other agent sat forward immediately. “You told them you’re a _what?”_

“A Kingsman,” Sebastian repeated. “I’m expected to send in my resignation letter to MI6 and talk to my boss personally by tonight.”

            “You’re supposed to _what_?”

            Sebastian gave Harry a withering look. “For a gentleman, you certainly do have a wide range of vocabulary.”

            That made Harry blink a bit and sit straight up, his hand flat on the table. Sebastian saw the signet ring on his pinky and he vaguely wondered if that was part of the uniform he had claimed he wore.

            “Are you serious about it?

            Sebastian stared at him. “Serious about what?”

            Harry had a straight expression but anticipation played in his eyes. “About Kingsman? Are you truly interested in joining?”

            He hesitated, unsure what to say. It was true that he had simply said that to Jodie to get rid of the situation but in turn he had made it significantly worse. Sure, he had thought about what would happen if he quit MI6 and joined Kingsman but never did he actually think it was a plausible future.

            In fact, no. It wasn’t plausible. Sebastian had done the extreme.

            But he also couldn’t deny the fact that Kingsman had intrigued him enough to get him…curious.

            “I… Yes,” he said slowly. “But you said that candidates can only be picked if another agent dies.”

            There was silence between them and Sebastian did not want to know what Harry was thinking about.

            Luckily, the other agent simply shook his head. “No knight has died. But you’re right; candidates are only for agents. But there are other jobs for you at Kingsman that I think you would excel brilliantly at.”

            “There’s little else I can do but shoot the bad guy,” Sebastian said dubiously.

            “That’s a lie. You told me about Newcastle.”

            Ah yes. Newcastle. The time in Sebastian’s life when he practically tore into every piece of electronic equipment they had in their home. It was what caused Sebastian’s parents to send him off to military school to knock some authoritarian sense in him but it didn’t diminish the fact that Sebastian had a knack for technology.

            “Nothing happened in Newcastle except for me getting tossed out of my home.”

            “After,” Harry stressed, “You learned a very important thing about yourself.”

            Sebastian pressed his lips thin. The technology thing was never something he dwelled on. It helped him understand his gadgets and that’s all that really mattered. It sometimes helped him aid the tech department in creating new things but he never actually tried to act on his knowledge.

            “What are you suggesting?

            “I’m hinting at the fact that perhaps we can put you where you truly belong.”

            “In the field.”

            “Behind a computer.”

            There was another staring contest.

            “That sounds horribly boring,” Sebastian said but he tried to refrain from asking what exactly he’d be doing behind a computer.

            Harry tilted his head. “No, I don’t believe it would be. Tell me, what did you tell Jodie to prove to her that you had joined Kingsman?”

            Sebastian had a sinking realization where this was headed but he indulged the man anyway. “I said that I had a code name and I showed them your medal.”

            “And what did you say your code name was?”

            He narrowed his eyes for a moment before sighing, dropping his gaze. “Merlin,” he muttered.

            There was silence between them but it was quickly chased away but a small chuckle from Harry’s direction. Sebastian looked up to see that the other agent was laughing behind his hand.

            “What?” He asked petulantly.

            “I think you’d make a brilliant Merlin,” Harry said sincerely. “Much better than the one we had.”

            Well _that_ certainly caught Sebastian’s attention. “Had?” He repeated, tilting his head.

            The smile seemed only to grow bigger on Harry’s lips. “As much help as he was, a handler is only as good as his attitude. Which, our last Merlin had a horrendous one.”

            Sebastian couldn’t help but stare. Him? A handler? To do the job that Jodie had done, such as watching and advising the agents? Was that what he would be doing behind the computer? Living the adventure through the agents? It didn’t sound…terrible. Not at all.

            “What happened to him?” He asked warily.

            Harry worried his bottom lip a bit before answering. “I wasn’t the only one to send in a complaint. Well. I was at first and I got a bit of backlash since some of the other agents had a tendency of just refuting literally anything I said… But ultimately, it was either the truth or standing up for Will, who was our Merlin, and naturally, I won. He was a horrible man.”

            Sebastian quirked a single brow. Harry hadn’t answered the question.

            A sigh. “He’s indisposed.”

            Silence. Another deeper sigh.

            “Arthur let him loose with a strong dose of amnesia. It’s what we do to all employees and agents that get ‘fired.’”

            “I see,” Sebastian murmured, rubbing his fingers against his wrist. “So you’re telling me that I should apply for that position?”

            Harry nodded. “I also have no doubts that you’ll get it,” he said with a small smile.

            “Where does the confidence come from?”

            “The fact that very few people can do what Merlin is supposed to do but I think you’ll do all of it and more.”

            At the praise, Sebastian sat back and sighed, looking around the pub. It overly crowded, as any place would be in the cold winter season, and it was certainly not Harry and Sebastian’s usual scene. However, nobody gave them a second look and the two of them knew that no one overheard their conversation.

            “I’ve never handled,” Sebastian said warily, shooting a look at Harry.

            A smirk appeared on the other man’s lips. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you slid into the responsibility of bossing people around quite easily.”

            “Is that a barb I hear?”

            “A fact. Face it, Sebastian. You want the job.”

            He did want the job.

            “You’ll be surrounded by the latest technology and you will be _in charge_ of it all.”

            Damn, that sounded good.

            “You won’t necessarily have to physically risk your life out on the field but you’ll have the responsibility of all of our agents’ lives by being in our ear, telling us what to do.”

            While responsibility scared most people away, excitement simply thrummed even harder within his veins.

            “It comes with dental.”

            Sebastian laughed, loud enough that it caused a few glances but nothing more. “Perfect. Yes. I think I’ll try for it.”

            Harry was grinning at him, satisfaction evident on his face. “Brilliant. I’ll let Arthur know.”

**\---**

            Sebastian did end up getting the job. In fact, the entire process happened so smoothly that he wasn’t sure if it was Harry’s influence or the fact that they really, _really_ , needed a Merlin.

            Kingsman might have been a piece of cake but MI6 certainly wasn’t, unfortunately.

            After he and Harry parted ways after the pub, Sebastian had come home, typed out the quickest, sloppiest resignation letter ever, and booked it over to HQ to hand it over to a shell shocked Brockard.

            There was plenty of yelling, plenty of swearing, and the man even looked like he was about to cry a little. Sebastian understood – he was their best agent and he was quitting, out of the blue.

            Jodie had been there the entire time and for once, Sebastian would have thrown himself on his knees in gratitude since the woman did not mention Kingsman at all. All Brockard knew was that Sebastian wanted an _immediate_ retirement. But that didn’t mean she didn’t glare at him the entire time.

            Nobby helped him clear out his locker at HQ, asking Sebastian questions that he was sure he wasn’t allowed to answer, giving him replies that barely skated the surface of Kingsman. It satisfied his brother and despite Jodie’s death glare the entire evening, he was able to go home unscathed. A bit verbally-whipped, but alive.

            He knew that it was entirely worth it when he walked back into Kingsman’s HQ and was greeted with a nod of respect and ‘Merlin’ from the agent Percival. Sebastian – _Merlin_ , now – had donned the Kingsman-issued glasses and a whole new world of possibility grew before his eyes.

            They were very much like Green Earth but…classy. Easier too, since he didn’t need a separate earpiece to transmission. Harry had been chattering away in his ear ever since he got in.

            “How do you like the new job, Merlin?” Harry had asked once he had patched in and his voice crackled to life in his ear. The name still threw him off but somehow… Somehow, it felt like it fit.

            “I just started, Galahad,” Merlin replied with a grunt as he turned a corner and nodded at Bedivere who was stepping out of the training room. He noticed that they used codenames even at HQ and it thrilled Merlin greatly to be referred to with his new name. He was tempted to force people to use it constantly, at work or not.

            “Yes, but I have no doubt you’ve stepped right into a shit storm of work. Lancelot just went out on the Carlson mission.”

            It was true, he did walk into an office with a mound of paperwork on his desk. Arthur had apologized and said that ‘training’ would come soon, right after Merlin was tossed into straight into the fire. While it was slightly stressful, he was glad that he was back doing important things. Unfortunately, like any employee or candidate, he was forced to go through rigorous physical training to make sure that he was ‘Kingsman material.’ His MI6 skills didn’t fail him once but it was the knowledge that he had to do it all over again that was irksome.

            But now, he was able to nestle in a comfortable chair in front of a massive computer and hear agents talking between comms links, asking for advice and telling him what they were about to do.

            The responsibility was overwhelming but never before did Merlin feel so in charge.

            “It’s manageable,” he said as he sat at his desk, pulling the first file from the top. As expected, it was Lancelot’s. He flipped it open. “How’s Papua New Guinea?”

            “Pleasant,” came the answer as Merlin heard a gunshot in the background. Harry had been charged with a small drug ring that was slowly beginning to form. Once again, it was not the hardest mission, but Kingsman had been starting him off slow, just to make sure he knew what he was doing.

            It was exceedingly easier now that Merlin was simply in his ear rather than Harry having to be distracted from work to seek the man out.

            “Stay safe,” Merlin said as he checked Harry’s video transmission before patching out into Lancelot’s comms.

            “Lancelot,” he said and the other agent responded similarly. “Do you have the mark in sight?”

            The video shook up and down and Merlin took it as a yes. “Good. There are several guards coming up to your right. Act inconspicuous. There’s a chance they won’t even care you’re there.”

            After a tense moment of silence from the other agent as Merlin watched guards turn the corner and walk away, leaving the disguised-Lancelot alone, he sighed a small breath of relief. “Very good. Turn left up ahead and you’ll find yourself in the computer room.”

            It was only a few seconds before the quiet was punctuated by a small chuckle. “You’re much quieter than Will.”

            Merlin blinked, unsure how to respond. He knew that Lancelot was the agent that proposed Harry and was one of the few people that Harry had considered as a friend in Kingsman. But he wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or an insult. “Er, I see.”

            “It’s a compliment,” the agent said easily, walking into the computer room and pulling out his gun, a silencer attached. Merlin watched as the older man took out every single tech with ease and speed, the alarm not even having the chance to go off. “Will was like a mosquito buzzing around our heads constantly. He never stopped talking.”

            Lancelot walked to the huge circuit boards, finding the usb ports. After pushing in the drive, Merlin’s various computers lit up with access. His fingers flew as he began ‘working his magic,’ as the agent Kay liked to call it.

            “Then thank you,” he murmured as the file was pushed away and the keyboard was yanked closer. It was surprising, in all honesty. How easy he was able to pick up this whole job despite never having the previous experience in MI6.

            Harry was grateful, Arthur had been ecstatic, and Merlin… Well, he was happy.

            The screens flashed in front of Merlin and through Lancelot’s transmission, he saw that Carlson’s computers were all successfully hacked, listening to every single one of Merlin’s commands. He grinned, pulling his hands back and cracking the knuckles. “Done,” he announced for the sake of it. Lancelot was already working at the keyboards.

            “Wonderful,” said the agent. “Merlin, we truly are grateful you’re on board. Welcome to Kingsman.”

**\---**

Merlin would say that he trusted Harry with his life but sometimes he was allowed to question.

            Especially now, when he was _literally blindfolded_ and being led throughout HQ by a giddy rookie agent, his hand firm on his shoulder.

            Harry, I _can_ kill you, you know?”

            “I’m aware, Sebastian.”

            “My name is Merlin.”

            “Yes, Sebastian.”

            Silence fell between them as Harry tugged him around a corner. Judging by the amount of steps and turns it had taken them, Harry was leading him towards HQ’s dining hall.

            “Was it really necessary to blind fold me?”

            “It’s all in good fun,” came the easy answer as he heard the click of a door handle and wind brushing against his ankles. “Come on.”

            Merlin walked in hesitantly, the aromas of foods of all sorts colliding with his nostrils. The silk tie fell from his eyes and he blinked unsteadily, staring at the room around him.

            Every Kingsman was there, dressed to the T but with easy smiles on their face. Merlin recognized a lot of people from the intelligence and technology department that he worked in, smiling happily at his arrival. There was a long table behind them all, salads and breads already waiting and to his surprise, old man Arthur was seated at the right hand seat from the head of the table.

            No one shouted surprise and no one cheered, it was simply not Kingsman style, but the fact that they had gone above and beyond for something as trivial as a ‘surprise party’ thoroughly shocked the handler.

            “This is…” he murmured and Harry placed a hand on his shoulder blade, urging him towards the table. The head of the table. Harry was guiding him to sit at the _head of the table_.

            “A welcoming committee of sorts. We don’t normally do this for people and agents, but you’ve proven to be a wonderful asset to Kingsman. Everyone agrees that your work and ideas are top notch and that no one could possibly compare to your skill. We’re glad you’re a part of us, Sebastian.”

            Pride and amazement filled his chest but he tried his very best to keep a calm appearance. “I… Goodness. Thank you. Really. This is extraordinary and I don’t know how to show you my gratitude.”

            Percival laughed from his side of the crowd, holding up a thin flute of champagne. “Don’t get us killed,” he exclaimed and a ripple of cheerful laughter followed.

            Merlin grinned. “I’ll try to do my very best.”

            Harry’s hand clasped him once on the shoulder. “You won’t need to,” he said to the confusion of the handler and the amusement of his colleagues. “You are the best.”

**Author's Note:**

> Wow! My first Kingsman fic ever published and what's surprising is that it's not even Hartwin. But after watching Grimsby, my sister threw out the idea that 'this sounds like what happens before Merlin joins Kingsman' and Voila! The fic was made. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it and I promise there will be more fics to come!
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated and I appreciate you for reading and supporting my writing! :)
> 
> Check me out on [tumblr](http://eggsyvnwin.tumblr.com)!


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